Modern communication and data networks are comprised of nodes that transport data through the network. The nodes include routers and/or switches that select paths for the individual data packets to travel through the network. When large amounts of data are to be transported from a common source, A, to a common destination, Z, a data path can be established from A to Z and all the data to be transported from A to Z can be mapped to this path. By doing so, the nodes in the path no longer need to determine the path to transport the data packets. Instead the nodes merely transport the data to the next node in the path, which significantly improves the efficiency of data transportation. The data is then transported from node to node through the network until the data arrives at the destination node.
Unfortunately, the nodes and their physical connections sometimes suffer from faults. Examples of these faults include physical link breaks and router failures. The faults degrade system performance by dropping the data as it is transported through the network. Even if the fault does not cause the data to be dropped, the fault can create an unacceptable decrease in network performance. Specifically, some faults may make a node appear to be operating normally when, in fact, the node only has a fraction of its normal capacity. Thus, an improved system for identifying and responding to network faults is needed.